Speaking on the online program The Hour of Truth, Minister Gulyás stated that whether one looks at the post-communist left before 2010 or the various left-wing experiments after 2010, including the united opposition of 2022, these political forces have now effectively merged into what he described as the Tisza movement.
According to Minister Gulyás, the underlying strategy has remained unchanged: after repeated failures, the left seeks a new political form that it hopes will provide a renewed chance at elections.
Commenting on the possibility of cooperation between the Tisza Party and the Democratic Coalition in individual constituencies, Minister Gulyás said there is no real resistance on either side, adding that neither Klára Dobrev nor Péter Magyar appears unwilling to enter into cooperation with the other.
Addressing remarks by former finance minister Lajos Bokros, who called the introduction of lifetime personal income tax exemption for mothers of three children the “most malicious change,” Minister Gulyás said he is deeply convinced of the measure’s correctness. He argued that even from a purely economic perspective, pension and healthcare systems will be difficult to sustain if demographic trends do not improve, regardless of broader ideological views.
Minister Gulyás emphasized that demographic change cannot be achieved by the state alone, but noted that government family support measures have proven effective. He pointed out that around 200,000 children would not have been born had demographic trends from 2010 remained unchanged.
Regarding EU plans to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, Minister Gulyás said such a move would be tantamount to a declaration of war and lacks any legal basis. While acknowledging that Russia violated international law by attacking Ukraine, he stressed that there is likewise no legal justification for using frozen assets under any legal construction. He warned that such actions could expose participating states to legal challenges and risk disqualifying Europe in the global competition for investment.
Minister Gulyás said the European Union has constructed a mechanism that is widely understood to be either false or unworkable, yet is still attempting to gather political support behind it. He added that many member states, due to domestic political constraints and a weak economic situation after three and a half years of war, cannot openly commit tens of billions of euros to Ukraine. Instead of working toward ending the conflict, Europe is attempting to finance its continuation, he said.
According to Minister Gulyás, this policy has exhausted its reserves and carries serious risks. He warned that the actions of EU leaders could lead to war, potentially even a third world war, calling this a real threat that requires firm opposition to current Brussels initiatives. He also raised the question of whether the European Union will attempt to obstruct US-led peace efforts.
Minister Gulyás said Ukraine is unlikely to improve its military position significantly compared to the current situation, adding that past experience shows Ukraine has fared poorly when it failed to pursue peace when it was a realistic option.
Turning to energy prices, Minister Gulyás said Hungary has the lowest electricity and gas prices for households in the European Union by a wide margin, and that Hungarian companies also perform better than the EU average. He described this as evidence of the state’s capacity to protect consumers.
Finally, commenting on an attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Minister Gulyás said that beyond the irreplaceable loss of human life, such incidents instill fear in entire communities. He noted that for more than a decade in Western Europe, members of the Jewish community have often been unable to feel safe in everyday life. Central Europe, he said, has remained a generally safe region, including for religious communities and particularly for Jewish communities.
Minister Gulyás stressed that in Hungary, participation in Hanukkah celebrations or Christmas markets carries no meaningful security risk, and preserving this level of safety must remain a long-term priority. He added that much of Europe has lost this sense of security over the past decade, largely as a consequence of migration, and that Western Europe has increasingly begun to abandon the preservation of its own cultural and religious heritage.